After The Outsiders
by LoveMyCrazyFriends
Summary: A collection of short stories about what happens after The Outsiders. Each chapter is about what happens to one person.   A/N: One chapter has NOTHING to do with another  i.e. Ponyboy could end up with Cherry in one chapter, but someone else in another
1. Cherry

After the _Outsiders_

"Do you miss him?" She asked. I just looked at her with a blank expression on my face. It's been like this for the last month. This stupid _shrink_asks me a question about my friends and family and I just ignore her.

I looked away from her piercing stare. I can't wait for the day that I no longer have to have those green eyes searching me. I wondered how much time was left in this session; I guessed at least an hour. She continued to stare at me and I tried to avoid looking at her.

If it wasn't for my mother I wouldn't be sitting here with a _shrink._She thinks after all that happened I need to "talk about my problems," but I don't have any problems. Only crazy people have problems. I mean yeah I did love Bob and I was with him only hours before he was killed and sure I did know the kid that killed him and maybe I do feel responsible for his death and the death of those two Greasers, but I don't have any problems!

Apparently she asked me another question because she was looking at me expectantly. I looked back at her and I could feel her green eyes searching me. Oh how I hate that!

"Miss Valance," she said keeping direct eye contact and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't break it, "I asked you a question."

"Did you?" I said and the _shrink_ seemed pleased. It was the first time I ever said anything in one of our sessions and she probably thought she was making progress.

"Yes. I asked if you missed him."

This time I kept my mouth shut. I didn't answer her. Her green eyes continued to search me.

"I said-"

"I heard what you said."

"Then why don't you answer me?"

"I'm not answering you because I'm sure you already know the answer." This time it was me keeping direct eye contact.

"Miss Valance, I do not understand."

"Oh I'm sure you do understand! You don't need me to tell you anything! After all you are the_shrink_ who went to school for however long so you could sit here and search my head for all my deepest secrets like you do every time I come in!" I could hear my voice rising, all the anger I've had over the past month coming to a boil.

"I do not search your head for your deepest secrets, that is not my job."

"Oh, really?" I said sarcastically. "Then what is your job as a _shrink_?"

"Please do not call me a shrink, call me by my name: Miss-

"Oh _Miss_. So you're not married." I said and she shook her head. "Well it's no wonder why you've never been married. _'__Do__I__miss__him__'_ what a stupid question! You have obviously never been in love either because if you have, you wouldn't be asking me stupid questions about my dead boyfriend!"

She just stared at me and I could see small red dots starting to appear on her cheeks from either anger or embarrassment.

"I think that will be all for today." She said. "Please tell your mother to come and see me."

I got up and walked out of the room and over to my mother.

"The _shrink_ wants you. I'm not staying, I'm gonna walk home." I turned without her answer, we haven't been talking much since she made me start going to therapy. The thought still makes me sick.

"Okay honey, be careful." She said as she walked into the room I just left.

I knew she was going to tell my mother everything I said and I was going to be in trouble. I left the_shrink__'__s_ office and headed home. I didn't know what I was going to do when I got there, I thought about maybe calling Marcia since I haven't talked to her since the night Bob was killed when we were hanging out with those Greasers: Johnny Cade, Ponyboy Curtis, and Dallas Winston.

I remember that night perfectly, though I try to avoid thinking about it. The only one that remains alive from that night is Ponyboy. I haven't talked to him for a while either. I was going to go to Johnny and Dallas's funeral and try to talk to him, but I couldn't, I felt like I'd have betrayed Bob. I still see him in school but I do every possible thing to avoid him. Socs and Greasers don't socialize together very often. I feel bad about it, but that's just how it is.

I still talk to Randy, Bob's best friend and Marcia's ex; they broke up not long after Bob died. He's changed, he's more sensitive now. He hangs out with the Greasers. They all seem to have forgiven him for what he helped Bob to do Ponyboy and Johnny, though I know Dallas wouldn't have.

I got to know Dallas pretty well before he died, I was his spy before the rumble. He always asked me out and I turned him down. I once told Ponyboy I could fall in love with Dallas Winston. I had been doing everything I could to not let that happen. But, there was this one time Dallas and I were alone in the parking lot that I often met him in to give him the information about the Socs and the rumble.

I was telling him that they would play by the Greaser's rules. Dallas had said thanks and stared into my eyes.

"You're beautiful." He said as he brushed my hair out my eyes.

I didn't say anything; I just looked into his eyes instead.

"Why do you hate me so much?"

"I-I don't hate you." I stuttered. "I-I just can't let myself be with you."

"Why? 'Cause I'm a Greaser and you're a Soc?"

"Well that's part of it…"

"Well what's the other part?" He moved closer to me and I could hear my heart beating. "Well?"

I didn't have another reason and he knew it, but I just knew that being with Dallas Winston was a bad idea.

"You don't have another reason do you Cherry?" he said as he moved even closer to me. "In fact I don't think me being a Grease is your reason either."

Then he leaned in and kissed me.

As the memory of that night faded I realized I was not headed home, but towards the gas station where some of the Greasers work. I opened the door that clearly said "Closed" and walked in.

"Hey Lady, can't you read? We're closed." Said one of the Greasers, I never got to know all of them.

"Hey, Steve, it's cool. This is Cherry Valance." Said Randy.

"Cherry Valance, our spy from the rumble?" Said Steve.

"That's the one."

"Well it was very brave of you to help us during that time." Said the Greaser I thought they called Darry.

"It was the least I could."

"Hey Cherry." I knew that voice even though I couldn't see him. Ponyboy Curtis was walking out of the back of the store drinking a Pepsi with his older brother Sodapop.

"Hi Ponyboy. Soda." I couldn't look at Ponyboy, I felt guilty about ignoring him at school, so I watched the rest of the Greasers messing around. Randy seemed to fit in well here, he seemed happy. He didn't look the same, his hair was longer and full of grease, his typical Madras shirt was exchanged for a leather jacket similar to the one Dallas used to wear, and he really did seem happier than I've ever seen him.

I could feel Ponyboy's eyes on me, but I still didn't look at him.

"Oh, where are our manners boys? We never offered the lovely lady a Pepsi." said Two-Bit as he pulled one out from behind the counter and handed it to me.

"Thanks." I said but he didn't hear me, him and Soda started boxing in the corner.

"So how've you been, Cherry?" Randy asked.

"Okay I guess. Parents are making me go to therapy."

"And how's that been?"

"Well I kinda blew up at the _shrink_ today,"

"Ha, I always knew there was a fire in you, Cherry."

I smiled at Randy and looked out the window, it was getting late.

"I gotta guys. See you around."

"I'll walk you out." Ponyboy was still watching me his eyes were green like the s_hrink__'__s_ and I had that odd feeling of being searched.

"Okay." I said as the guys whistled and gave Ponyboy a hard time.

We walked awhile before he said anything.

"Haven't heard from you for awhile." He said.

"Well, you know, things have been rough."

"Yeah well, things are rough all over." I looked at him and he gave a knowing smile. I told him that one night long ago at a drive in.

I looked away and into the sky, the sun was setting. I knew Ponyboy saw it too, it was a connection we had, sunsets. We both stopped walking and I turned to look at him, we were outside my house now.

"Well Ponyboy, I said you could see the sunset real well from the West Side."

"Yeah you did." He looked me in the eyes the way Bob used to and the way Dallas did that one night long ago.

Then I kissed him on the cheek. "I'll see you around Pony." I turned and walked up the steps to my house and closed the door behind me.

I watched Ponyboy Curtis leave my driveway and I thought about what I said. "See you around Pony." I meant it; I would see him around, the rest of the Greasers too. Who cares who's a Soc and who's a Greaser? Not me, not anymore. I couldn't wait until tomorrow when I would go back to the gas station with Steve, Darry, Sodapop, Two-Bit, Randy, and Ponyboy.


	2. Jonathon

**Okay, I had this story planned out for about a month. I had to do a project for school, a "follow up" on one of the characters. I didn't do this one, but the thought kept coming back. I like to think about characters that really don't affect the book at all. Like that little boy that bit while he was saving him in the burning church. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own The Outsiders**

"JONATHON! GET UP AND GET READY FOR SCHOOL!" I heard my mother yell.

I sighed and got up out of bed, I didn't feel like going to school today. My mom probably doesn't know, in fact no one probably does, but today marks ten years from the day I nearly died. I was five and had gone on a school field trip. A bunch of friends went to play inside an old church that was on the hill, I followed.

We were having a great time, running, laughing, and playing when the worst possible thing you could think of happened. The church burst into flames. It got all smokey and I couldn't see anyone. I got real scared and started screaming for help.

It wasn't long before my calls were answered. A boy a lot older than me came into the church. There must have been someone else with him 'cause I heard them talking to each other. The one boy came over to me, he had blonde hair.

He picked me up off the floor and I started shrieking and I bit him. I smiled remembering that. He handed me off to a friend of his outside of the church. His friend put me down and then pulled him out.

The boy with the short blonde hair was on fire so his big friend hit him and he fell to the ground. Then right as the church collapsed the bigger boy ran into the church.

I was rushed to the hospital along with everyone else, but I got to leave right away.

It was a long time before I learned what happened to my saviors. About a year or two. The one that I bit, Ponyboy, suffered only minor injuries, but his friend, the one he was talking to, Johnny, died a few days later. A beam of that church fell on his back. And then the other boy, the big one, Dallas, was killed the same day as Johnny, shot by the police.

I got dressed and went into the bathroom to brush my teeth. I looked at my reflection in the mirror. My hand went instinctively to my face to the scar that I received from the fire. It covered part of the right side of my face. But, compared to Johnny, my injury is nothing.

I sat down at the table in the kitchen, not wanting breakfast.

"Hey John, how are you?" I looked up suddenly my older sister Sam was sitting across from me, I didn't believe it.

Sam was thirteen when the fire occurred, so now she would be twenty-three, she's not married, but she doesn't live at home and I only see her on holidays.

"Sam!" I practically tackle her to the floor.

"Woah there John." She laughs, "just because you're the football star at school doesn't mean you need to be practicing on your older sister."

I smile because I just love my sister so much. "What are you doing home?"

"What? Can't I come home to visit my baby brother once in a while?" she asks while ruffling my hair.

I looked at her skeptically. "Okay, I came home because it's been ten years since the fire and I want to make sure you're okay."

I sighed, of course she did, I love my sister, I really do, but sometimes she treats me like I'm still five.

"Thanks Sam, I really do appreciate it, but I'm fifteen now, not five. I can take care of myself."

"Jonathan, I know, but you will always be my baby brother that almost died, nothing is ever going to change that." She reached over and touched the scar on my face, she shook her head and sighed.

"So how long are you staying for?" I asked her.

"A few days, I don't know exactly how long yet." She smiled when she saw my face light up. "Anyway I have a surprise for you after school, mom too, though she already knows all about it."

"What is it?"

"You're just going to have to wait till after school." She answered mockingly and I rolled my eyes. Sam and I never fight. "I'll give you a ride to school, and yes you do have to go today." She gave me the "mom" look, that's what we named it, you know, the look your mom gives you when you are being bad.

I spent the entire car ride to school trying to guess what the surprise was.

"Is it big?"

"Yeah, I guess."

"Can I throw it?"

She laughed, "I don't think so."

"Will I like it?"

"I hope so." She seemed a little nervous. "I hope so."

We arrived at my school then and Sam kissed my forehead a watched me walk to the crowd of students outside of the school.

I spent the day in a daze, a few of my friends who were there the day of the fire asked how I was doing, and I asked them. We all pretty much seemed to have moved on. Though today marked ten years since the fire, that wasn't the dominant thought in my head; I was trying to figure out Sam's surprise.

What could it be? I was asking myself during the last class of the day, English, when my teacher called my name.

"Uhh, yes sir?" I asked clearing my head.

"Jonathon, would you like to answer the question?"

"And what question would that be?"

The teacher sighed and turned his back to me, finishing whatever he was saying about nouns, pronouns, adjectives, adverbs, and whatnot. I decided it wouldn't be a good idea to get caught daydreaming twice in one class, so I did my best to pay attention.

As soon as the bell rang, I ran out of the class and to my locker, I grabbed the books I needed for homework and headed outside. I heard one of my friends call my name and run up behind me.

"Jeez man, what's your hurry? Got a hot date?" he asked elbowing me in the ribs.

"Naw man, my sister's in."

"Ah, I see. Tell her I said 'hi'."

But I didn't answer him because I saw my sister's car parked up ahead so I sped down the steps and opened the door.

"Hey Sam!"

"Hey John. How was school?"

"Boring." I answered searching the car for the surprise.

"It's not here." She laughed. "It's at home. Buckle your seatbelt and we'll head home."

I did as I was told and started guessing at what the surprise might be.

"Is it a dog?"

"No. It's bigger."

"Is it a really big dog?"

"No, Bigger still."

"An elephant?" We started laughing so hard that I thought Sam may crash the car.

We pulled into the driveway and Sam instructed me to wait for her because she needed to go into the house first.

"It _is_ an elephant, isn't Sam?"

"Just follow me."

We walked into the house and I set my backpack on the kitchen table. I heard voices in the other room. One was my mom's the other's was a man's that sounded vaguely familiar. I looked at Sam in confusion. She motioned for me to go into the room, so I did.

On mom's chair was, of course, my mom and on the couch was a man. I looked at him and looked at him until I gasped.

Sam walked over to him and he stood up. He put her arm around her and smiled at me.

"Hello Jonathon." He said.

"Hello Ponyboy." I said. "How are you?"

"Pretty good, and you?"

"Confused, but better than I was ten years ago." I said. "Thank you, for saving my life. Oh, and sorry I bit you." I looked at my shoes.

I heard my family and Ponyboy laugh and I couldn't help but smile.

"It's okay." He said. "John, I hope that it's okay with you that your sister and I are seeing each other."

I looked at my sister, she seemed really happy standing next to the boy who saved me. Then I looked at Ponyboy, his hair was no longer blonde, but light-brown, almost-red. And his greenish-grey eyes lit up and sparkled whenever he looked at Sam.

"Ponyboy." I started. "I wouldn't want anyone else but you seeing my sister. I trust you with my life."

**Review please?**


	3. Officer Brandon Quim

**I had a really hard time with this chapter because I had bunch of different ways I wanted it to go. I hope you like it.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own The Outsiders**

A call comes over my radio. "Robbery. Suspect white male, blonde hair. Running south. Thought to be a hood." Stupid hoods, it would be so much better if they all would leave and go somewhere else. I step on the gas and head toward the road the guy over the radio said the suspect was headed.

I step out of my car; there are already a bunch of other officers there. We wait for the kid to head our way. Suddenly we see him and we take off as fast as we can. I'm fast, faster than the rest because I'm so young. I over take the majority of the cops easily so now I'm in front.

The kid stops under a street light and pulls out a gun. _"GUN!" _I scream letting the others know. I aim mine at the kid and pull the trigger. _POW! POW! POW! _I hit him three times in the chest, he falls to the ground, dead.

"NO! Dallas!" I turn to my right and see a group of five boys run over to the boy. The smallest one faints and falls to the ground next to his friend. We all rush over to the scene, some go to help the kid and his friends, the rest go to the kid I just shot.

My good friend bends over him and pulls the gun from his hands. I can't see what's going on, but that's okay, I don't want to, I just killed him. I see everyone look at me and I know something bad happened.

"Quim." My friend says. "The gun's not loaded."

I jump, startled out of my bed. I have been haunted by this dream for months now. It shouldn't bother me; the kid pulled a gun, so I did what I was trained to do. How was I supposed to know it wasn't loaded?

I put my head in my hands and sighed. I killed an innocent kid. Well okay he wasn't all that innocent. He did have a police record the size of my old history text book from high school and he had just robbed a convenience store, but he was just a kid.

His friends told us that their friend just died and that Dallas was in shock, that he most likely _wanted_ to die.

I laid back down praying for sleep to overtake me, but it never did. Imagines of that night and the sound of my gun going off tormented me until my alarm went off three hours later. I got up out of bed and went downstairs to make coffee.

While it was brewing, I headed back to my room to get dressed. I put my uniform on headed back to get my coffee. Sadly, it didn't give me the kick that I needed. Hopefully, work won't be too busy and I can just drive around. But like any other time you really want something, you get the opposite.

Three calls that someone supposedly stole this little old lady's teeth, they were in her mouth the entire time, one cat stuck in a tree ("Isn't this the fire department's job?" I thought as I climbed to the very top of a huge tree to rescue a cat.), and of course, I just had to catch three people speeding. Oh and how could I forget about the group of drunken teenagers I caught spray-painting cars in an old parking lot.

And yet through all of this, those images of that night still flooded through my head.

When my shift was finally over I headed home to relax. I had planned on just sitting and watching TV, but I couldn't. Like any other time that I didn't have anything to keep my mind busy, Dallas' face took turns popping in and out of my head with the sound of my gun.

Why was it bothering me so much? I didn't have an answer for myself. I decided to go for a walk. I put my shoes and coat on and opened the door. I headed down the street, my mind wandering.

I didn't know where I was headed, but at this point, I didn't care. At some point, I realized that I was on my way toward the place where I killed Dallas. I didn't stop myself like I should have, I just kept walking.

When I got there, I sat down under the light where Dallas was killed. I just sit, thinking when all of a sudden I feel a tap on my shoulder.

"Are you okay?"

I jump up and turn around to face one of the most beautiful girls I have ever seen. She had soft, kind green eyes and long curled blonde hair, the _exact_ same color as the boy's who I shot.

"Uhh yes, I'm fine."

"I don't think you are." She had this stupid yet cute smirk on her face that made me want to kiss her.

"And why do you think that?"

"Well for starters, you're sitting under a streetlight at midnight." It was midnight? I didn't realize I was out that long.

"Well I'm fine." I answer staring up at the light.

"You know you did the right thing." What did she mean? "Shooting him. It was the right thing."

I looked at this girl. She couldn't be more than twenty-three, three years younger than me, yet she was talking to me about something I doubt she knows anything about.

"How do you know that?"

"Dallas was my brother." Crap. "Before he ran away, we lived in New York together. He was arrested when he was ten and he ran away when he was about thirteen. I hadn't heard from him in years."

Of course, the first cute girl I meet in six years just has to be the brother of the boy I shot and killed.

"I'm sorry."

She laughed. "Don't be. Dallas deserved it. He pulled a gun on the police, what did he expect to happen?" I smiled at her, I liked this girl.

"Brandon Quim." I held out my hand to her, she smiled.

"Lana Winston." We shook hands and when our skin met I felt energy pulse through me, more energy than I've felt in months.

"So Lana." I say as we start to walk. "Why did you leave New York for our little town?"

"I was sick of the city and all the crime. I figured if Dally liked out here, then I would too." She shrugged and looked ahead.

"How long are you staying for?" I hoped it was a long, long time.

"Oh I don't know. I awhile I guess. I like it here, the people are nice." She looked at me. "I got to meet Dally's old friends, they're real nice. They offered their place to me until I get settled in and get an apartment of my own."

"Did you except?"

"Not yet. I don't really know them all that well and the thought of staying with a bunch of strangers isn't too appealing, but where else do I have to go?" she sighed.

I didn't like the idea of her staying with a bunch of hoods. Offer her your house. My mind kept telling me, but I couldn't do it.

"So where are you staying tonight?"

"Probably the lot." I shuddered.

"No, no. You can stay at my house. I know I'm a stranger too, but you are not sleeping in a lot."

Her face lit up and I thought my heart was going to beat out of my chest.

"Thanks." That's it? Does that mean yes or no?

We stopped at the end of my street.

"So are you staying with me or not?" I tried my hardest to not show how nervous I really was.

"Well…" she looked at me. "I don't think so. I'm sorry, but I think the lot is as good as any."

I tried not to let her see my disappointment and I guess I failed epically because she put her hand on my face.

"Oh Brandon." She sighed. "Don't take that the wrong way."

That energy pulsed through me again and I acted without thinking. I grabbed her waist and pulled her close. I kissed her like I'd never kissed another girl before. And the best part was, she didn't pull away, she kissed me back.

I don't know how long we kissed, it could have been years, or seconds. Finally, we broke away and the smile on Lana's face was enough for me to let her go.

"Look Lana, I know I just met you and all, but would you like to meet me for lunch tomorrow at noon?"

"Absolutely!"

"Great. See you then." I kissed her on the cheek and she walked off in the direction of the lot she was going to sleep in for the night.

That night I slept without a single nightmare and when my alarm went off at five in the morning, I was more than ready for work. I skipped coffee and drove around the town waiting for a call to come in, but nothing did. I didn't know what to do with all the energy I had.

At noon, I went to meet Lana. We sat outside of a little coffee shop. I had just leaned in to kiss her when I heard the unmistakable sound of police sirens.

I jumped up and saw a very familiar scene. There was a boy and he was running. He stopped under a streetlight and pulled out a gun. He pointed it at me, then he started to walk toward me. I told Lana to run, but she didn't.

When he got to us, he pointed the gun at Lana. She was taken hostage. I pulled out my gun. This boy must be an amateur I thought because the way he was holding her gave me the perfect position to shoot him. I'd kill him, but Lana would be free.

I aimed my gun at the boy and prepared to shoot, but when I tried, I couldn't. Images of Dallas flashed through my head as I wondered where backup was. Then I realized they weren't ready for the kid to stop and they over run him.

It was up to me. I tried to shoot again, but still I failed. I looked at Lana, her blonde hair all askew thanks to that kid. Her green eyes showed how scared she was, but there was something else, trust?

"Brandon! Help!" she screamed.

"I-I can't." I whispered.

"Brandon, this isn't a good time to have a breakdown! Shoot him!"

Then the most sickening thing happened, the boy started to laugh. "Poor little Officer, too scared to shoot. Oh well, it's your loss not mine." _POW! POW! POW!_

I threw my gun down and ran over to Lana.

"Are you okay?"

"Fine. Thanks. I knew you wouldn't let him kill me." She said.

I kicked the boy's gun away and checked for a pulse. None.

I picked up his gone and checked. It was loaded. Then the sound of sirens was behind me and all the cops came over to take over the scene. They let me leave. I grabbed Lana's hand and we walked away.

"My hero." She whispered in my ear and we headed back to my house.

**Like I said, this was a hard chapter to write and I hoped you enjoyed it and review.**

**Also, if you have read Soda's Girl? and Guardian Angel and have any ideas on how they should be continued, message me because I have a severe case of writer's block…**


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